Feds + Province Partner on Investment in Clean-Energy Tech

There are 6,400 jobs at more than 200 clean-tech companies in B.C., producing $1.6 billion in annual revenue.

BC - The federal government and Province of BC recently announced a $40-million partnership to support the development of pre-commercial clean-energy projects and technologies.

Under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, British Columbia and the Government of Canada have agreed to work together to spur the development and commercialization of new technologies that will reduce emissions and create jobs for Canadians.

“Investments that boost commercialization success and build capabilities to grow are critical for tech companies in the clean tech sector,” said Bill Tam, president and CEO, BC Tech Association. “We require strong and joint partnerships between stakeholders to truly advance BC’s existing global brand for clean communities and position BC and Canada to be a global leader in clean tech.”

The funding available through this joint fund will leverage federal, provincial and private sector investments. The $20-million provincial contribution comes from the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund. The federal contribution will be provided through the SD Tech Fund, managed by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).

The parties will conduct a joint call over a three-year continuous intake period to seek out clean-energy projects and technologies that will mitigate or avoid provincial greenhouse gas emissions, including prototype deployment, field testing and commercial-scale demonstration projects. The call for expressions of interest will officially open in early April, 2017.

The streamlined application process will provide companies with a one-window approach to support the development and demonstration of emerging clean technologies .The technology must be well suited for deployment in British Columbia.

Funding to advance the development of pre-commercial clean-energy technology projects supports actions under the BC Climate Leadership Plan to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to grow the economy and create jobs for BC families.